Ski and the method of making the same



May 15, 1945. H. E. JOHNSON SKI AND THE METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mew Kw- 17mm;

' farm y 1945. H. E. JOHNSON 2,375,994

SKI AND'THE METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patenied ay 15, W45

ATES

ATENT OFFICE SKK i run ME'rnon or a My invention relates to new and useful improvements in skis and the method of making the same, and has for one of its objects to 'produce skis of laminated material in which the laminations run, extend or project obliquely or on the bias, to thereby strengthen the structures and distribute the stresses so as to reduce the possibility of breakage to a minimum.

Another object of this invention is to construct a ski of a number of imposed plates or plies of laminated material, with the laminations of alternate plates or plies projecting, extending or running in opposite diagonal directions to break the joints and produce a structure in which the stresses of one plate are opposed tothose of contlguous plates.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a border for the edges of the plates to cover the exposed butts or ends of the laminations, said border comprising a veneer or laminations of the same material as the body of the ski or a different material, such as fibre or plastic.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ski comprising one or more plates of laminated wood with the laminations running oblique to the ski and a border of wood, fibre or plastic.

A further object of the invention is to produce a ski by a new method which consists of forming plates from a laminated block in which the laminations run, extend or project in an oblique or bias direction relative to the axis of the block.

, A still further object of the invention is to make a ski by a method which consists of first making a laminated block in which the laminations are parallel to the longitudinal axis of said block, then severing said block on a diagonal line and transposing or interchanging the positions of the two triangular halves to produce a block having oblique or bias laminations, then concaving the sides to form the waist, then covering the sides with other laminations or veneer, then cutting said block longitudinally and transversely nto relatively thin plates or plies, then imposing a number of said plates on one another, and finally finishing and shaping the blank into aroper ski formation.

With the above and other objects in view this nvention consists of the details of construction I-Iid combination of elements hereinafter set forth ind then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which his invention appertains may understand how to nake and use the same I will describe its contruction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a ski constructed in accordance with my invention. V

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the ski.

Fig. is a blown view of the ski showing the several parts in their general, but separated, locations.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view with the upper plates broken away at different locations to illustrate the arrangement of the laminations of alternate plates.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the laminated block when first formed.

Fig. 7. is a similar view of the second block formed from the first one and showing the oblique or bias laminations.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the block after being shaped to produce a waist and showing the border laminations or veneer thereon.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of Fig. 8 illustrating the lines of severance to produce plates.

Fig. 10 is a cross section on the line I0|0 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a similar view of a single plate.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, It represents a block of laminated wood consisting of a number of strips or boards l8 glued together in any well known manner so that the laminations run, project or extend in parallelism with the axis of or in straight lines longitudinally of the block. This block l5 should be at least a little wider and longer than the width and length of a finished ski but the depth may be whatever is desirable or convenient. While all of the boards or strips I8 are shown of uniform length such a condition seldom occurs in actual practice because a manufacturer will not take the time to square the ends at this point in the manufacturing process.

When the block I5 is completely formed it is severed along a diagonal line indicated by the dot and dash line I! in Fig, 6 thus providing two triangular pieces or halves. These triangular pieces then are transposed or shifted in their positions so that the one at the top of Fig. 6 is at the bottom of Fig '7. In other words, their locations are reversed laterally and the face I8 is glued to the face is to produce a block 20 in which the boards or strips now run, extend or project obliquely or on the bias relative to the longitudinal axis of the new block. While not absolutely essential the ends of the block, preferably, portions along The block is now are squared by cutting of! the protruding the lines 2|.

shaped to provide a narrow waist by concaving the sides of said block intermediate its ends as indicated at 22. Fig. 8. and if desirable the ends may be partially or completely shaped to produce the type of toe and heel ends acceptable to the trade or the toe and heel shaping may be done later. a

After the waist is formed, a relatively thin sheet, lamina or veneer of wood, fibre or plastic 23 is secured to each side of the block as depicted in Fig. 8, to cover the butts or ends of theboards or strips i6, and constitute a border, and completing' what I prefer to term a fabricated block 24. Next the fabricated block is cut transversely and longitudinally along the lines 25 to produce plates or plies 26 comprised of oblique or bias laminations with a border along the major portions of the edges.

A ski 21, Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, or like article can be formed from one of these plates, if thick enough, but I prefer to employ a number, two or more, of the plates 26. For purposes of illustration I have shown the ski 21 composed of four of said plates and designated 26a, 28b, 26c and 28d. The top and bottom plates 28a and 28d, respectively, are of the same length, while the lower intermediate plate 280 is shorter and the upper intermediate plate 20b is the shortest. The intermediate plates are chamfered at both ends so that a continuous even inclination is provided at each end through both of said intermediate plates. The several plates are imposed upon one another with the laminations of alternate plates running, extending or projecting in opposite diagonal directions as plainly shown in Fig. 5. Between the top and bottom plates, at the ends thereof, and beyond the ends of the intermediate plates, are located toe and heel wedges 28 and 29, respectively, to provide the desired thickened ends of the ski, as shown in Fig. 2.

Preferably, the lower plate or blank 26d is laid down, then the intermediate plates or blanks 26c.

and 28b are secured in place and the ends of said intermediate plates chamfered. Thereafter the wedges are placed in position and then the top plate or blank 26a. is secured in place. Finally the structure thus produced is shaped, as shown in Fig. 2, by forcing it into the desired form by a press or similar device. The underneath face of the ski has a longitudinally projecting groove 30 formed therein.

As indicated above, the fabricated block 24 can be shaped at the ends to produce the proper ski contour or said block 24 can be cut into the plates and the latter shaped at the ends or the plates can be secured together to constitute the multi-ply blank and then the end profiles produced.

In manufacturing a pair of skis, both of them are preferably produced from the same block so that they match one another and have substantially the same center of gravity for balance and the proper distribution of weight fore and skis run, extend or project in opposite diagonal directions, therefore when looking at the top or bottom faces of a pair of skis the laminations either converge or diverge towards the same end of the pair.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction and sequence of steps of the method herein shown and described as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the I spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

1. A ski comprising a plurality of plies of laminated material with the laminations of each ply extending obliquely to the longitudinal axis of said 'ply, and the laminations of alternate plies extending in opposite diagonal directions.

2. The ski of claim 1, in combination with a border along the major portions of the edges of each ply.

3. A ski comprising a plurality of plies of laminated wood with the laminations of each ply extending obliquely to the longitudinal axis thereof, and the laminations of alternate plies extending in opposite diagonal directions, and a border along the major portions of the edges of each ply.

4. The ski of composed of fibre.

5. The ski of claim 3 wherein the border is a plastic.

6. As an article of manufacture, a ski comprising a number of laminated plates, each having its laminations extending obliquely to its longitudinal axis, and the laminations of contiguous plates extending in opposite diagonal directions.

'7. The method of producing a ski which consists of securing together a number of boards to form a block in which the boards are parallel with the sides of said block, then severing said block from top to bottom along a diagonal line to produce two triangular pieces, then shifting said pieces laterally and securing them together in their new positions to provide a block in which the laminations extend obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the block, then concaving the sides of the second named block, then securing a thin layer of material to each side of the second named block, then cutting said second named block transversely and longitudinally to form plates, then imposing a number of said plates on one another and securing them together to produce a ski blank, and finally forcing said blank into shape to form the surface features.

8. The method set forth in claim '7 wh rein when the plates are imposed on one anothe they are positioned so that the laminations of calternate ones extend in opposite diagonal dire tions.

HARRY E. JOHNSON.

claim 3 wherein the border is 

